With You Always
by shannyfish
Summary: It picks up after the season 8 finale...and i mean right where the season finale left off!
1. Waiting in the Dark

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "JAG", CBS and USA and those people do. I also do not own Avril Lavigne or her song "I'm with you", she does. : )  
  
**Author's Note:** Takes place after Season 7 finale, picks up right where it left off. For those of you who read "Occupational Hazards" have no fear I am going to post the last chapter soon, I just don't have it on me right this second. And who let Harm fly? I mean I swear whenever someone lets him fly he either gets Mac sick, crashes, or just causes general trouble. I don't know how the format will show up, but it's all I got right now since I'm not using my comp.  
  
  
  
**JAG**  
**"With You Always"  
**  
  
**Chapter 1 - Waiting in the Dark  
**  
  
_I'm standing on a bridge I'm waiting in the dark  
I thought that you'd be here by now  
There's nothing but the rain   
No footsteps on the ground   
I'm listening but there's no sound  
_  
  
Mac opened her eyes; she wasn't where she thought she'd be.what was going on? She spun around only to find herself on a bridge, in her uniform, with snow falling. "What's happening?" she asked softly not really expecting anyone to hear. She closed her eyes, took a breath, opened her eyes again, but she was disappointed to find herself still standing on the bridge. Mac tried to think about where she thought she'd be, she remembered being in a plane with Harm. They were in Paraguay. Why did it look like she was in Virginia in the middle of winter? "Harm?" Mac called out. 'Maybe I just don't remember,' Mac thought. 'That's possibly.right? Okay, so highly unlikely, but still! There had to be an explanation!' All of the sudden Mac thought of something that she really didn't want to consider. "Am I dead?" she asked aloud. It certainly wasn't what she would have thought death would be like. It was cold, dark, and incredibly lonely. There were no sounds Mac realized which only made her panic, there were always sounds. No animals. No people. No vehicles of any kind. Mac looked down at the water under the bridge. It was completely frozen.  
  


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As soon as Harm had regained consciousness after the crash he looked forward to see Mac. She wasn't moving. Not a good sign. Harm knew that he had probably come up lucky; he couldn't feel any injuries, just bruising. Harm attempted to stand, so he could check on Mac. Pain. Definitely some broken ribs, well at least one. Harm tried again and this time was able to stand. He moved forward so he was still in his spot, but could check on Mac. "Mac?" Harm said hoping for a response. Mac didn't respond or move. He touched her neck waiting for a pulse. It was there. Not much of one, but it was still there. She was alive for the moment. Harm carefully trying not to irritate his obviously broken rib got out of the plane and went to see if he could get Mac out. He moved around and when he saw her face he cringed, it almost brought tears to his eyes. Her head was just hanging there, and Harm could see a trial of dried blood running down her face. 'How long was I out?' Harm thought to himself. "Mac," Harm repeating and touched her shoulder, but again there was no response. Harm tried to lift Mac out when he realized three things, which made him immediately abandon lifting her out. First of all, it was just hurting him more. Second, he could further any injuries she might have. Third and final, she was stuck. Harm tried to get a look at what was stuck, when he realized that much of the front end of the plane was smashed. Harm began to take a survey of body parts. 'Head. Check. Upper body. Check. Left arm.' Harm leaned over and started from her shoulder and traced along her arm until he found the hand. 'Check. Five fingers.' Harm started counting her fingers to make sure they were all there. 'Check. Right arm. Check. Five fingers. Check.' This was the harder part. Harm didn't want to pull anything to make any of Mac's injuries worse. Harm lay on the side of the plane and started to reach down Mac's left leg. He figured it was the only way to check on where Mac was pinned and if she was hurt without moving her. Harm got to her knee and then he could feel it, metal against Mac's leg, blocking him from going down any further. Harm started with Mac's right left, and found the same thing. "Not good," Harm told himself. Harm began to try to wake up Mac, "Mac.come on.open eyes."  
  
After a few minutes, Mac opened her eyes, but just barely. "Harm?" she managed to weakly get out.  
  
"Hey.I need you to stay awake for me, okay? Can you do that?"  
  
"You're not flying." Mac said barely and then took in a sharp breath before finishing. ".anymore."  
  
"Okay, okay. Now, Mac.I need you to tell me if you can move your head."  
  
"Yeah." Mac said turning it a bit turning more towards him.  
  
"Okay, good. How about your arms?" Harm asked holding out his hand.  
  
Mac lifted her right hand and held onto Harm's.  
  
"What about your other arm, Mac?" Harm asked trying not to sound too worried.  
  
"It hurts too much, Harm," Mac told him tiredly blinking her eyes a few times.  
  
"Okay, now you gotta stay with me, kay?"  
  
"Harm, why.ya here?" Mac asked pained.  
  
"I'm here to get you." Harm told her. "Mac, I need you to tell me if you can feel your legs."  
  
"I can't move them." she told him tears starting to roll down her pale face.  
  
"Come on, Marine, that wasn't the question," Harm knew he might be sounding mean, but he needed to know. He needed to get her out of there. They were on foreign soil. And it was very possible that they were being followed. "Can you FEEL your legs?"  
  
Mac nodded her head. She was in pain. She was starting to become more conscious of what was going on and what was hurting.  
  
Harm tried to appear as calm and collective as possible. He knew Mac was in a lot of pain and that possibly waking her up was only making it worse. "Mac, you're pinned. I'm going to try to pull back whatever's pressing up against your legs, okay?"  
  
Mac nodded.  
  
"Are you going to be able to pull them out?"  
  
"I have to, right?" Mac said.  
  
Harm went around and finally found what he thought was pressing up against Mac's legs keeping her pinned in the plane. Harm couldn't pull it back by himself, but since they had hit trees, there was debris around. He found a good size tree limb and used it to help him move the offending metal back. "Mac? How's that?"  
  
Mac couldn't believe that she was in more pain than when the metal was crushing her legs. Mac tried desperately to pull her legs up, but she had to use her hand to pull one up.  
  
"Mac?!"  
  
"They're out!" Mac yelled weakly before passing out.  
  
Harm rushed around to see Mac all jumbled up in her seat. She was unconscious again. 'At least her legs are free,' he thought. Harm picked her up and got her out of the plane. He laid her on the ground. He at least hoped they'd be safe for a while. He looked at her left arm. He picked it up and began trying to feel for a break. He wasn't sure if he had found it, but he knew that it shouldn't be moved. He looked down at her legs and noticed that one was covered in blood.  
  
  
**TBC...**


	2. Isn't Anyone Trying to Find Me?

**Author's Note:** OOPS! I made an oops on the first Author's Note, which someone caught! TY! It does take place after the season **/8/** finale, told ya I wasn't home so I didn't know how things would work out! Anyways! There! I fixed it! Hope it makes more sense! Hopefully it makes sense in the first place, sometimes when I'm sick, stuff just doesn't come out right like how it sounds in my head.  
  
  
  
**Chapter 2 - Isn't anyone trying to find me?**  
  
  
_Isn't anyone trying to find me?  
Won't somebody come take me home?  
It's a damn cold night  
Trying to figure out this life  
Won't you take me by the hand?  
Take me somewhere new  
I don't know who you are  
But I…I'm with you_  
  
  
Mac opened her eyes and she was on the bridge in the dark, cold, snowy night alone once again. 'What the hell is happening?!' Mac thought to herself. She was just with Harm, she knew she was! She remembered it! She was in the plane! Harm had crashed AGAIN! She just had such luck with Harm and planes. For such a hot guy and almost perfect he sure couldn't fly, or at least seem to when she was in a plane with him or when she was involved. Mac noticed one thing. It was getting colder. Sure it was snowing, but now she knew it wasn't real. She was once again dressed in her uniform. "Maybe I should try going…home…or to JAG…" Mac thought aloud. Mac decided at least then she'd be doing something, so she headed in the direction she hoped was JAG. She took a few steps and was suddenly at JAG Headquarters inside her office. She walked out, but no one was there. "I really need to snap out of this…" Mac headed to the elevator thinking she needed to try to find Harm. She went to push the elevator button and was in Harm's apartment. "Okay this is just weird…" Mac went into Harm's bedroom. "Harm?" she called. She knew he wouldn't be there, but she wished he was. She sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. She looked over at the nightstand and saw a picture frame with a picture of her and him at Bud and Harriett's wedding. Mac picked it up. 'Maybe I'm dying…' Mac thought. "I could be dying in that plane right now…" Mac remembered pulling her legs out, "or in Harm's arms. He's probably pulled me out by now…" Mac set the picture down, "why am I here?" Mac was feeling extremely lonely. "Harm?" she asked a bit desperately. There was no response. Mac dropped her head in her hands. She just wanted this all to be over. She wanted to be back with Harm even if she couldn't move her left arm and knew her leg was injured pretty badly. Mac was starting to feel like crying. 'I swear he always makes me cry over him…either that or my life falls apart…which he's usually involved in… If I'm dead. Then just let me die and be dead. If I'm not…I just want to go back…he needs my help…if they find him…he doesn't speak Farsi…not that they'd talk and then shoot…' "Harm…where are you?" Mac asked aloud almost crying.  
  
"Mac, come on now…you need to wake up," Harm's voice echoed through the room.  
  
"Harm?" Mac said happy to hear his voice. But how did she wake herself up? "HARM!"  
  
  


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Mac sat straight up bumping heads with Harm, "HARM!" Just then a surge of pain went through Mac. Her leg was really bad, she could tell, she really needed it treated. She looked down at it, Harm had wrapped it up in most likely his own shirt and her arm was in a makeshift sling. Harm was pretty damned resourceful when he needed to be.  
  
"You okay?" Harm asked sitting next to her holding her in his arms now.   
  
Mac reached up to touch the spot where she and Harm had collided with her good hand. "Yeah…I think so…how about you?"  
  
"I'm good. You keep blacking out on me. You sure you're okay?" Harm asked concerned.  
  
"Technically no," Mac said and looking up at his concerned face only made her smile. "So, what's the plan, Sailor?"  
  
"Well…how about we get out of Paraguay and make it to the US. From there we make our way back to Virginia. And somewhere along the way we need to get you some decent medical care."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"No you're not. When we get back, I'm keeping an eye on you."  
  
Mac smiled, she would definitely like that if it was at all possible which she knew it wasn't. One of them needed to be at JAG. "Harm, you know you can't…"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you need to be at JAG so you can keep me up to date."  
  
Harm looked down avoiding her eyes.  
  
"Harm?"  
  
"I resigned."  
  
"WHAT?! WHY?!" Mac asked suddenly panicking. 'Had he resigned for me? He can't do that!'  
  
"Someone needed to find you…"  
  
"Harm…"  
  
"Look, Mac, it's done. I found you and now I'm going to get you home."  
  
Mac felt so horrible. Harm had quit the Navy for her. He had given up JAG and any possibility of flying in the Navy. All for her. He didn't have to do it. She wouldn't have wanted him to do it if she had the choice. She would never want him to give up the one thing that seemed to matter the most. Harm lived and breathed the Navy. She loved him and wanted him to be happy. But now it was seeming like getting her home safely and just being there for her was what he truly wanted. "I don't know how well I'm going to be able to move Harm…" Mac warned.  
  
"I know. I got some branches…I figured we might need to splint your leg. It could be broken."  
  
Mac nodded in agreement.  
  
Harm let her lay down and went down and began to put the splint together.  
  
Mac's face contorted in pain.  
  
"Sorry…" Harm mumbled, he might have mumbled it, but he was extremely sincere. He would never want Mac in pain. He finished the splint and then helped Mac to her feet carefully, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to help support her. Harm looked at Mac, really examining her. He smiled when he realized she was still in her pregnancy suit. Perhaps that was what had kept her from injuring her stomach area. She was padded. "Mac…you know you're just glowing," he told her smiling as he began to walk in the direction he hoped was closer to the US or an embassy or something.   
  
Mac looked down and realized what he was talking about. "Well thank you," Mac said smiling as much as she could trying to forget the pain she was actually in. Playing along is all she wanted to do. "You think Gunny got Webb out?"  
  
"Gunny's a Marine, what do you think?" Harm asked back.  
  
"But do you think Webb made it?" Mac asked worried. Clayton Webb had risked his life to save her and keep her from being harmed, but yet he was the whole reason she was there in the first place.   
  
"I don't know, Mac, but I do know that you are never going to be on one of his crazy missions ever again."  
  
"I knew the risks, Harm," Mac said trying to concentrate on actually walking and their conversation.  
  
"He had no right in asking you in the first place. The CIA didn't even know you were involved, if I hadn't have come down it's likely all three of you would have died."  
  
"Gunny would have come back for us."  
  
"But would he have gotten you both out in time without getting himself killed?"  
  
Mac didn't feel like answering the question. Harm being there had been good. He had saved her from being tortured for information, and he had found a way to keep the missiles from being used for detrimental purposes. Though Harm HAD gotten them crashed. "Have I told you that I am never flying with you ever again, yet?"  
  
Harm smiled, "you know I'm only like this with you."  
  
Mac smiled remembering to when they were in Australia. "I'm just SO lucky!" Mac told him sarcastically.  
  
"You are," Harm told her.  
  
"Do you think anyone's looking for us?" Mac asked pretty much already knowing the answer, just hoping for a more positive one.  
  
"Highly unlikely since I don't think the CIA think this is an official mission. Hopefully Gunny will get back and somehow get together a team to get us out."  
  
"You had to quit the Navy to come find me, how hard do you think that's going to be?"  
  
"Honestly?" Harm asked hoping she'd say she wanted to hear good news.  
  
Mac nodded.  
  
'Damn,' Harm thought. He wanted her to think positively about them making it out. "It's pretty much close to impossible."  
  
"You don't think the admiral can send a team in after us?"  
  
"It's not that the admiral won't…it's just a matter of if he can. Don't worry, Mac, we'll make it. Have I ever let you down?"  
  
"When it counts the most?" Mac asked remembering there had been some times when he hadn't been there for her, but those weren't the ones that counted as much as right now.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"No. Never."  
  
"Then we're getting out of here, right?"  
  
"Right," Mac said nodding her head trying hard to think positively.  
  
  
  


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**  
TBC Soon...**  



	3. Searching for a Face

**Author's Note: ** So, how is my lovely second JAG fic? Even though I haven't watched JAG for long, I think Mac and Harm's relationship reminds me of Sam and Jack from Stargate SG-1. And I've done A LOT of Sam/Jack fics. So, hopefully I haven't killed the characters yet…and I know I haven't killed any literally….yet. : ) Ack! Sickness affecting my ability to actually get my ideas out of my head…so hopefully I still can get the rest done by this weekend. And yes I know it's not THAT long, but it's all I could manage especially since I want to add one more chapter.  
  
  
  
  
**Chapter 3 - Searching for a Face**  
  
  
_I'm looking for a place  
Searching for a face  
Is anybody here I know  
Cause nothing's going right  
And everything's a mess  
And no one likes to be alone_  
  
  
Mac sighed; she was back on the bridge again. This was getting old. So, why the hell was she here…again? There were differences though; Mac noticed when she started to spin around to take in the area. There was a heavy layer of snow on the ground this time and that the snow was falling down even more. The increased snow and snowfall only made Mac colder. "Harm?!" Mac called worried. Was she just unconscious? First it had been because of the crash and the second time had been when she passed out from the pain. But Mac didn't remember exactly what had happened before she ended back up here. Had she gone to sleep? Had something happened where she was in immense pain again? Had she just passed out? What was going on? She just wanted the mission over with. Mac started to rub her arms in an effort to keep warm. She had her uniform on once again, but it was colder than the last time she was there. "I need to get out…or wake up or whatever. I just need out." Mac started to head off of the bridge, but there was so much snow cover. She was in uniform, but tights and heels were not exactly clothing for cold weather. Mac closed her eyes for a minute wishing for the snow away and to just be awake. Mac opened her eyes and to her surprise she was surrounded by a crowd of people. 'Strange,' Mac thought. 'No one was in clothes for the weather and it was still so quiet.' "Hello?" Mac said to a man walking past her when she suddenly realized that everyone's face looked blurred. She wouldn't be able to recognize anyone. Mac just wanted to be back with Harm, or anywhere where she and he would be safe. She hoped somehow they could get home soon. The hard part she knew was to actually make it to the United States or to an airport where they could fly out. Just something. And now she was once again trapped in a dreamscape, where it was just getting colder every time and only confused her more. Everything was so quiet. "Harm?!" Mac yelled and then suddenly got very quiet, "someone?" Mac couldn't help it anymore. It was all just making her nervous, panicky, and extremely confused. Mac dropped to the cold snowy ground and dropped her head in her hands and started to cry.  
  
  
  


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"It's going to be okay, Mac," Harm told her as he replaced the piece of wet cloth on her forehead that was serving as a washcloth. He had seen tears start to go down her cheeks and wasn't sure if it was because she was in more pain or if she was just having a bad dream. They had made it safely a considerable distance before Mac had passed out from what Harm could only guess was pain and stress. She had been burning up ever since she passed out and Harm didn't know exactly what to do. He had found a spot where they would be safe for the night and managed to start a small fire that he hoped no one would spot, but he knew that Mac was most likely going into shock if she hadn't been already and she needed to keep warm. Harm wrapped his arms around her.   
  
"Harm?" Mac said in a very low scared tone.  
  
"It's okay, Mac, I'm here," Harm said seeing that her eyes were opened to slits.  
  
"Leave me," she told him weakly.  
  
"You know that's not going to happen."  
  
"It's so cold…" Mac said shivering a bit.  
  
"There's a fire going," Harm said and started to rub her arms hoping to warm her up a bit.  
  
"I don't see it…there's just snow…" Mac said confused.  
  
"There's no snow, Mac," Harm told her tilting her face up so he could look into her eyes. "We're in Paraguay, remember?"  
  
Mac couldn't make out Harm's face for more than a blur, which only produced more tears. She reached up for his face, "Harm? Harm? Where are you?" Mac asked frantically before she passed out again.  
  
  
  


*************************************  


  
  
  
Harm was afraid he was going to lose Mac after the last time she had passed out. All he could do was try to keep her warm and try to get her fever down. He knew he could do more in the morning. It had been hours though since Mac had passed out and Harm just wished she would mumble something or open her eyes a bit. Harm heard movement. He didn't think it would be wise to move Mac, which meant him not moving since he was holding her. Harm just hoped that maybe it was a bird or something.  
  
A minute later a familiar face immerged from the near by bush. "Commander?"  
  
"Gunny?" Harm asked not quite sure if he was just dreaming they were rescued.  
  
Gunny smiled and he and a group of who Harm could only think to be the cavalry surrounded them. One of them pulled Mac from Harm's arms, and pulled out a medical kit, obviously a medic.   
  
"Come on, Sir; let's get you two to the trucks and on planes home. How does that sound?" Gunny asked.  
  
"Like music to my ears," Harm said smiling wide.  
  
Gunny helped Harm up. "Come on, we'll have you both back in Virginia in a few hours."  
  
"The admiral let you come after us?" Harm asked. The admiral hadn't allowed him to go after Mac, so why would he let Gunny come after the both of them?  
  
"Well apparently when you majorly help the CIA with something they've been trying to do for quite sometime they do favors like send in a team to extract remaining members."  
  
"I'll have to remember that."  
  
  


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**TBC...**  



	4. I'm With You

**Author's Note:** yes, I finally finished this...you cannot imagine how horribly insane my life has been since I started this... *sighs* but it is finished!**  
  
Chapter 4 - I'm With You**  
  
_Isn't anyone trying to find me?  
Won't somebody come take me home?  
It's a damn cold night  
trying to figure out this life  
won't you take me by the hand?  
take me somewhere new?  
I don't know who you are  
but I...I'm with you_  
  
  
Darkness. Mac had been just standing in the middle of darkness for what she could only imagine as hours, if not longer. She tried to wish herself anywhere, but the darkness. It wasn't working. Mac felt numb. She was really starting to panic. 'Why am I in the dark? Shouldn't I be on the bridge?!' Mac thought to herself. But it suddenly dawned on her. What if she was dying? What if she was standing on the bridge and she was dying? Mac started to panic again, 'dead? I can't be dead, not yet! I have so much to do still! Harm! What about him? I have so many things to tell him!' Mac's panic turned into pure terror. 'Was this death? Condemned to standing in the dark for eternity?' She wanted to do so much more with her life. She wanted to tell Harm so much. She wanted a family. A husband. Children. A home with a white picket fence and all the bells and whistles. Happiness. A solitary tear froze on her cheek. Mac didn't bother rubbing it away. She had so many things she was going over in her mind. 'Our deal. We were suppose to have a child together. Harm and me. Together. A family. And happiness.' She wanted it so bad. And she hoped that Harm had wanted them to make it to the deal as much as she had. "I'm SO sorry, Harm," Mac said upset.  
  
  


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Gunny and the squad had gotten them sucessfully to a heliocopter and were headed back to Maryland. Harm had his arm wrapped around Mac, who was unconscious, keeping her supported. Gunny sat across from them with one of the marines who had extracted them. "She'll be fine," Gunny said confidently, "Sir."  
  
Harm looked at him, "I hope so."  
  
"I'm so...sorry...Harm..." Mac mumbled weakly.  
  
Harm moved his gaze back to her. "It's going to be okay, Mac, we're going to get you home. Just hold on." Harm was really starting to worry about her. 'This is ALL MY FAULT!' Harm thought staring at Mac. 'I should have just gotten her out and away when I had the chance. I shouldn't have played hero and made sure those missiles were gone. It was the CIA's mission! They should have taken care of it!' Harm's anger towards the CIA, Clayton Webb, and himself built up inside of himself. He hated the CIA. They hadn't been able to keep tack of their operations, let alone their operatives and who they dragged into their jobs. He hated Clayton Webb. Webb had gotten Mac involved. Taken her undercover into an extremely dangerous operation and taken Gunny too! 'US Marines and Navy personnel are not Webb's own personal pawns in his twisted schemes!' He hated himself. For not stopping her from going on the mission in the first place. He had the chance and he didn't act. For not being there all the times he had been TOO busy with Annie, Bobbi, Jordan, Renee, or anyone else. For not telling her how much her cared about her. For crashing them and not getting straight out of Paraguay when they could.  
  


  
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Several hours later, they landed in Bethesda. They figured getting her straight there would be better than taking her to the closest hospital and then flying her to Bethesda later on. Mac hadn't regained unconsciousness the entire trip. They immediately rushed her into the ER when they landed.  
  
Gunny waited with Harm, who was getting checked out since they wouldn't let anyone see Mac until she was stable.  
  
The doctor finished, "okay Commander Rabb, you're good to go."  
  
"What about my partner? Lt Colonel Sarah MacKenzie?" Harm asked hoping for good news.  
  
"I'm afraid I haven't heard anything," the doctor responded. "I'm sure they'll let you know." The doctor left to tend to another patient.  
  
Harm sat there finishing buttoning up his new clean shirt. He didn't like that answer. He wanted to either see Mac or hear that she was going to be alright.  
  
A nurse entered the room and looked over at Gunny, "excuse me but there's an Admiral Chedwiggen looking for you."  
  
"Uh...thank you," Harm said and then gave Gunny a 'look'.  
  
The nurse left.  
  
"Sir?" Gunny asked.  
  
"Technically I resigned my comission before I came looking for Mac. I'm no longer a Commander," Harm explained.  
  
"The admiral explained that when I returned with Webb, Sir."  
  
"Drop the Sir, Gunny."  
  
"Well if you had waited around long enough you would have found out that there was a filing accident and somehow your resignation was lit on fire and I was forced to grant you leave," Admiral Chedwiggen cut in.  
  
Harm and Gunny turned a bit surprised to see the admiral and Tiner standing there. "Si!" Gunny said snapping to attention not really seeing any other option in the situation.  
  
The admiral looked Harm up and down. "Commander, did you hear what I just said?"  
  
Harm crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bed defiantly. He wasn't happy. The whole reason why he resigned was because it was the ONLY way to go after Mac. "What made you change your mind?"  
  
"Does it really matter?" Chedwiggen asked not liking Harm's attitude.  
  
"Yes," Harm said definatly. "Mac could have died! Along with Gunny...and Webb! You were going to just do nothiing and let them die!"  
  
"Sir, with all due respect," Gunny interrupted. "We knew the risks."  
  
Harm glared at Gunny, "the fact that you both thought you were suppose to be there, but the CIA did NOT know you were involved let alone AUTHORIZE your involvement."  
  
"Commander, don't think I liked denying you from going after Colonel MacKenzie. Do you think I like my personnel involved in dangerous CIA missions?"  
  
Harm took a breath, yelling at his CO wasn't helping. At least he still had his career. "They won't let us see her or tell us what's going on," Harm said changing his voice from hostile to desperate. "She kept blacking out..." Harm told him trying to keep together.  
  
"I'll see what information I can get," Chedwiggen told him sincerely knowing that Harm had NEEDED to yell at him and he didn't blame him for doing so. "Why don't you three go wait in the lobby? Lieutenant Sims and Roberts are there."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Harm said. He was tired. He just wanted to know Mac was okay.  
  


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The darkness had seemed to grow darker. Mac hadn't thought it possible, but it DEFINATELY seemed darker. It was starting to get hard to move, think, remember, let alone to breathe. She was crumpled up in a ball on the ground. She couldn't feel anything, she was numb everywhere. "Harm…" she called weakly hoping he'd answer or come and save her. But there was no one…nothing… Mac's eyes clamped shut, she couldn't breathe and didn't care. She let go…stopped trying…and she was nothing more…  
  


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Chedwiggen had pulled a nurse aside, "I need to know how Lt Colonel Sarah MacKenzie is."  
  
The nurse's face was saddened, "I don't know her complications or what the doctors say, but I just walked by to hand in x-rays and she was flat lined. The doctor was trying what he could, but I don't know if it worked. I'm sorry," she said before pulling away and headed to the nurses' station.  
  
Chedwiggen headed down the hall looking into the windows of the rooms for his Lt Colonel. After a few rooms he found it. The monitors were beeping, at least that was a good sign, he noted. Though there was a tube down her throat that appeared to be hooked up to a ventilator. A doctor spotted him and walked out. Once the doctor walked out, the admiral took his chance, "how is she?!"  
  
"Who are you?" the doctor asked making sure it was someone he would be able to release information to.  
  
"Admiral AJ Chedwiggen, I'm her CO," he explained hoping that that would work to be able to get information on her.  
  
"She's going to be fine. She'll need to be hospitalized for a week or two, but that's about it," the doctor told him.  
  
"She's on a ventilator though…"  
  
"They're finishing up. She was bleeding internally. She'll have to go through physical therapy also, because of her legs, but she's a marine. She'll be able to get through it."  
  
"Thank you," the admiral told him relieved.   
  
"We'll inform you when she's assigned to a room and when you can see her."  
  
"Thank you again," he said happy that the doctor had told him as much.  
  
  


****************************************  


  
  
Mac opened her eyes; she was curled up in a ball on the bridge. 'What had happened?' She remembered not being able to breathe and letting go, but then why was she back? She got to her feet noticing that the snow was gone, that it was warm, and that the sun was out. So much had changed. She turned around when she heard a noise. It was a tall man; she could tell it was a man by the shape of his body. His face was fuzzy though like before. He seemed so familiar. He stepped forward, dressed in all white, dark hair, and piercing beautiful loving blue eyes. Each step he took his face became more and more recognizable. "H…hharm?!" Mac exclaimed seeing that it really was him and ran to him throwing her arms around him.   
  
Harm responded by wrapping his arms around her, holding her close, he kissed her forehead.   
  
She looked up at him with tear filled eyes.  
  
"Everything's going to be okay now, Mac. I'm here. I've got you. You're safe."  
  
And Mac knew that what he said was true. She was safe. Safe with the one man she loved and couldn't have. She closed her eyes and leaned against him holding onto him tighter and then pulled back a bit and lifted her head and then ever so slowly opened her eyes.  
  


**  
******************************************  


  
  
When Mac opened her eyes she was no longer in Harm's arms, but he was looking into her eyes with concern. "Hey…you had us worried…" he said softly.  
  
Mac was a little confused and it took her a few minutes to take in the fact that she was in a hospital bed hooked up to machines and an IV. Harm and the admiral were standing by her bedside.  
  
"You're in Bethesda, Colonel," the admiral told her seeing her confusion. "I'll wait outside…and let the others know you're awake." He smiled and then exited the hospital room.  
  
"Harm?" Mac said looking back into his eyes and noticed how weak her voice sounded. "What happened?"  
  
"You were in Paraguay with Webb, remember?" he said squeezing her hand a bit.  
  
Mac nodded and it was then she noticed that he was holding her hand. She couldn't really feel it, but then she couldn't really feel much of anything at the moment. "You crashed us…"  
  
Harm smiled a bit remembering what she had said after the crash. "But I got us out, didn't I? Okay, so Gunny and some marines helped…"  
  
Mac smiled a little.  
  
"Mac…I shouldn't have let you go with Webb."  
  
"I don't remember giving you much of a choice…"  
  
"I should have said what I was thinking."  
  
"What makes you think it would have made a difference?"  
  
"Because I know it would…"  
  
"And what would you have said?"  
  
Harm looked down taking a breath and then looked back at her, into her eyes, and knew that what he was about to say would change everything, but that it would change everything for the better. "That I…I love you Sarah." Harm smiled and brushed a few strands away from her face, "and that I don't want to hide our feelings anymore."  
  
Mac smiled; maybe the drugs were making her a little more easily to take in what Harm had just said. She wasn't sure. "I love you too," she said and then suddenly wondered if she had just said it aloud or only in her mind.  
  
Harm smiled and leaned down and kissed her.  
  
Mac knew she had said it aloud by his response and kissed him back hoping that this would mean that they wouldn't hold back anymore.   
  
Just then there was the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind them. Harm pulled away and turned to see the admiral standing there. 'Damn!' he thought to himself thinking of how much trouble he'd be in.  
  
"What do you think you're doing Commander?" Admiral Chedwiggen asked.  
  
"Giving the colonel mouth to mouth?" he said somewhat innocently knowing that he'd most likely get yelled at for that response.  
  
"I was having trouble breathing, Admiral," Mac said going with Harm's excuse.  
  
The admiral gave them both looks that told them that he knew that they weren't up to that and he knew it. "We'll discuss how to work that out later."  
  
Harm smiled, "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."  
  
Chedwiggen smiled slightly and nodded, "I hope you feel better, Colonel. We'll all be by to visit tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
**  
The End**


End file.
